Columbia Student Activist Fights Deportation Amid Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Voices
Mahmoud Khalil, a student leader at Columbia University, was arrested on March 8 and now faces deportation under a Trump administration effort targeting international students involved in pro-Palestinian activism.
Khalil, who has been vocal in protesting Israel’s military actions in Gaza, remains in immigration custody in Louisiana while his case moves through court.
In an op-ed published Friday in the Columbia Spectator, Khalil described his arrest by federal immigration officers as an “abduction” and said it reflects a broader campaign of intimidation.
“Since my abduction on March 8, the intimidation and kidnapping of international students who stand for Palestine has only accelerated,” he wrote. The article, titled “A Letter to Columbia,” was dictated and verified by his attorney.
Khalil holds a green card and is a lawful U.S. permanent resident.
His legal team argues that his detention violates his due process rights and his freedom of expression. U.S. officials allege that Khalil participated in activities “aligned to Hamas,” which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
However, he has not been charged with any crime, and his lawyer asserts there is no evidence that he has aided any terrorist group.
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Growing Tensions Over Free Speech and Immigration Enforcement
The administration is invoking a provision in immigration law that allows noncitizens to be deported if they are considered threats to U.S. foreign policy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly supported this approach, revealing that over 300 student visas have already been revoked. “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said during a press event in Guyana.
Khalil also drew attention to Rümeysa Öztürk, a doctoral student at Tufts University who is similarly facing deportation.
Homeland Security officials claim she supported Hamas after co-authoring a student newspaper op-ed calling Israel’s Gaza offensive a “genocide.” Tufts has defended her, stating her actions align with its free speech policies. A judge has temporarily halted her deportation.
Reflecting on his situation, Khalil compared it to escaping the Assad regime in Syria. He urged fellow students to continue organizing: “It is incumbent upon each of you to reclaim the University and join the student movement to carry forward the work of the past year.”
Columbia has faced sustained backlash over its handling of campus protests. After months of criticism, President Minouche Shafik resigned in August.
The university also had $400 million in federal funds frozen by the Trump administration over alleged failures to protect Jewish students—prompting it to enter negotiations to reverse the funding cut.
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